Type-writing machine



(No Model.)

G B WEBB TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

Patented Jan.'26, 1897.

WITNESSES:

INVENTOR.

By 1213 Attorney UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. W'EBB, OF NElV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE \VYCKOFF, SEAMANS & BENEDICT, OE ILION, NEW YORK.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 575,916, dated January 26, 1897. Applicationfiled May 16, 1896. Serial No. 591,787. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE BJVEBB, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TypelVriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its main obj ectto pro- Vide simple and effective means for holding cards, envelops, stifi paper, or the like to or upon the surface of a cylindrical platen in such a manner that the card or the like may be caused to conform to the surface of the platen and lie closely thereagainst, especially in the printing-plane and in the immediate vicinity thereof, in order that the types may strike firmly and squarely and deliver practically as good impressions as when printing upon thin or ordinary writing-paper; and my invention has for a further object to provide means for efiecting a relative adjustment between the card-holder and the line-spacing ratchet-wheel. The purpose of this adjustment is to enable the printing to be begun at any desired point on the card. Cards sometimes have an initial line printed or ruled thereupon and on which it is desired to begin the first line of printing. To bring this line to its place relatively to the striking-point of the types, it is necessary to adjust the card. The detent of the platen ratchet-wheel always maintains the platen at certain points in its revolution, and it is therefore also necessary to effect an adjustment between the cardholder and the teeth of the ratchet-wheel. If the platen could be turned to any point and left at rest, it would not be necessary to adjust the card-holder, but the platen always moves one tooth-space and'remains at .rest only when the detent has fallen to the bottom of the ratchet-notch. Unless some such provision is made for adjusting the parts it Would be impossible to begin the work at a given point or upon a printed or ruled line without turning the platen back and holding the detent out of working position for the first line of print.

My invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of devices,

all as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan View of a type-writer carriage having my improvements applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged central vertical section taken at the line 00 w of Fig. 1.

In both views the same parts will'be found designated by the same numerals of reference.

1 designates the paper-carriage or platenframe, which may be of any desired design or construction.

2 is a cylindrical platen mounted to rotate within said carriage or frame, and in this instance comprising an axle 3, an interior hollow core or support 4, and an outside rubber sheath or cover 5', all of the usual construction. At the right-hand end of the platen is the usual ratchet-wheel 6, forming a part of the line-spacing mechanism and with which engages a spring-acting detent 7, either of roller or V-shaped form, as customary.

8 designates, the usual feed-roller, hung in arms or brackets 9 and forced against the platen by means of a spring or springs 10.

\Vithin the core or support 4 and extending longitudinally thereof is a bar 11, pro- Vided at various points with threaded holes to act as nuts for several screws or bolts 12, which pass radially through the platen from the outside, holes or openings 13 being made in the sheath or cover andin the core or support for this purpose.

14 designates the card-holder, which is a permanent part of the platen, being held against the surface thereof by means of the said screws and nuts, the screws passing through holes 15 in the card-holder, which holes, as well as those in the cover, are preferably countersunk to receive the flaring heads of the screws.

The card-holder is made, preferably, of a comparatively thin metallic plate or bar and of a length practically equal to that of the platen. The outer and inner surfaces of the card-holder are both preferably concentric with the platen, and in width the card-holder is in practice about five-eighths of an inch, although of course variations in its length and width may be made without departing from myinvention. Atonelongitudinaledge of the cardholder is formed an undercut or groove '16 and an outstanding ledge, lip, or flange 17 for holding the leading edge of the card. The holes 15 in the platen are elongated or larger than necessary for the screws in order that the card-holder may be adjusted circumferentially of the platen for the purpose before mentioned and as will be hereinafter again referred to.

In the use or operation of the contrivanco the leading edge of a card 18 is inserted under the ledge and into the space or pocket formed between the surface of the platen and the under side of said ledge, and the platen is then rotated to bring the card to the impression-plane. In the bottom-strike construction or machine shown the platen, cardholder, and the card are rotated down to bring the card to the under side of the platen for printing. At Fig. 2 the card is in printing position, at which time it will be observed that the leading edge of the card is held by the said flange and by the said feed-roller, so that the card conforms accurately to the surface of the platen. During the rotative feeding-in movement referred to the feed-roller acts to bend the card about the platen as the leading edge of the card leaves or passes by said feed-roller. Of course a feed-clamp, pressure-blade, deflector, or other well-known substitute for a feed-roller may be used instead of the latter or in conjunction therewith. I have shown at 19, Fig. 2, the usual pressure-blade or scale-bar, which assists in holding the card in curved form. The card is held against or close to the platen along two or more lines of contact, one at the ledge and the other at the feed-roller or other analogous device. The card is held firmly under the ledge and against the same by the inherent spring or tension in the card due to its being wrapped or wound around the surface of the platen by the feed-roller, &c. When the card has been brought to the desired position, the types may be actuated in the usual way to effect the printing.

The invention is of course equally adapted for both top-strike an d front-strike machines.

To adjust the card-holder circumferentially of the platen, the screws are loosened and the card-holder is shifted the required extent. The holes 15 are made large enough in practice to permit of a circumferential adjustment of about three-eighths of an inch, but this is determined by the distance apart of the spaces between the ratchet-teeth of the wheel 6. If it be desired to begin the print ing on a card at a certain point or on a previously-ruled line, the card may be placed in such a position against the platen that the types will strike just above the ruled line, whereupon the card-holder may be brought up against the leading edge of the card and so that the ledge overlaps the same. The

card-holder should then be reclamped before the printing is proceeded with. Although provision is made for an adjustment of the full distance between two ratchet-teeth or two adjacent spaces, the adjustment required in a given case may be less than a toothspace. After the adjustment has once been made any number of like cards may then be introduced Without further adjustment, but when a new card or set of cards having ruled lines which extend more or less back from the leading edge of the card is used, then a readjustment should be made. Of course if it is immaterial where the printing shall be begun relatively to the leading edge of the card, then the adjustment referred to need not be made. In such cases the provision for adjustment may be eliminated from the contrivance that is to say, the holes may be only large enough to admit the screws, which may be pointed and take into the wooden core of the platen, thus dispensing with the nuts.

Owing to the mode of attachment of the card-holder, the platen should be removed and a plain platen substituted when it may be desired to do ordinary work.

As far as some features of my invention are concerned, especially regarding the feature of circumferential adjustment of the cardholder, other means than those shown may be employed without departing from the gist of my invention. In another application, Serial No. 591,787, filed simultaneously herewith, an example of such other means maybe per ceived. Relative adjustment between the card-holder and the ratchet-wheel may be effected by movingthe ratchet-wheel instead of the card-holder, as in another application filed by me June 1, 1896, Serial No. 593,752. Hence I desire to cover such relative adjustment broadly.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a platen, of a card-holder secured directly to the surface of the platen and provided at one edge, outstanding from the surface of the platen, with an undercut and with a projecting ledge, thereby forming a seat or pocket between the surface of the platen and the under side of said ledge for the leading edge of the card.

2. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a platen, of a plate provided at one edge with a ledge overhanging the surface of the platen, and screws for holding said plate on the surface of the platen.

In a type-writing machine, the combination with a platen, of a curved plate having an undercut and a ledge overhanging the sur face of the platen, and screws passing through said plate and securing thesame to the surface of the platen.

4. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen comprising a hollow core and a cover, a perforated plate having an under out and a ledge, screws passing through said plate, cover, and core, and nuts within said core for the inner ends of said screws to en gage with.

5. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a platen, of a circumferentiallyadjustable card-holder secured to the surface of the platen, and provided with an overhanging ledge.

6. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen, a card-holder having a ledge which hangs over the surface of the platen and forms with the latter a pocket for the leading edge of the card, and means for securing the said card-holder to the platen, the said securing means being adapted and arranged to be loosened to permit the cardholder to be adjusted circumferentially of the platen, and then to be retightened thereupon to fix the card-holder in its new position.

7. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a platen and its ratchet-wheel and detent, of a card-holder, and means for effecting a relative adjustment between the card-holder and the ratchet-wheel.

8. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a platen and a ratchet-Wheel and its detent, of a card-holder secured to said platen and adjustable circumferentially of the same and with respect to the said ratchetwheel.

9. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a platen, of a card-holder comprising a perforated plate having an undercut and a ledge, screws for securing said plate on the surface of the platen, said screws passing through enlarged holes in the platen and engaging nuts at their inner ends whereby the card-holder may be adjusted circumferentially of the platen.

10. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen comprising a hollow core and a cover, perforations extending radially through said members, a concentric plate having perforations, an undercut, andaledge, screws passing through said perforations, and a bar within said core provided with a series of threaded apertures to receive the threaded ends of said screws.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 14th day of May, A. D. 1896.

GEORGE B. WEBB.

Witnesses D. S. RITTERBAND, K. V. DONOVAN. 

